UCSC is one of the very few campuses in California where undergraduates have the opportunity to major in Jewish Studies. Students in this interdisciplinary program achieve an extraordinary depth and breadth of learning about Jewish history and culture, especially its literature, art, and history, as well as its ethics, folk practices, and philosophy.
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Major Requirements
In consultation with a faculty advisor, students plan a program of study to fulfill the following distribution of course requirements:
Language Requirement
Three quarters of lower-division instruction in a Jewish language in any combination of the student’s choosing: elementary Hebrew (Hebrew 1, Hebrew 2, Hebrew 3); Hebrew 80, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew; elementary Yiddish (Yiddish 1, Yiddish 2); or equivalent. Students with prior knowledge of Hebrew or Yiddish are advised to complete a language placement exam to determine if they have satisfied any of the elementary language course requirements. Instructions for the placement exam may be found on the Languages and Applied Linguistics web site.
Course Requirements
The Jewish studies major requires a minimum of 11 courses, including the comprehensive requirement. A minimum of 40 upper-division credits must be completed within the Jewish studies major course requirements.
Lower-Division Core Courses (2 courses)
One of the following courses:
- History 74, An Introduction to Jewish History and Culture
- History 74A, Introduction to Middle Eastern and North African Jewish History: Ancient to Early Modern
- History 74B, Introduction to Middle Eastern and North African Jewish History, 1500–2000
- Literature 61J, An Introduction to Jewish Literature and Culture
Plus one of the following courses:
Upper-Division Core Courses (4 courses)
- four upper-division Jewish studies core courses
Additional Core or Elective Courses (4 courses)
- four additional core or elective courses, three of which must be upper-division
Comprehensive Exit and Disciplinary Communication (DC) General Education Requirement (1-2 courses)
Students may satisfy the Jewish studies comprehensive exit requirement and the Disciplinary Communication General Education Requirement (DC requirement) by completing a pre-approved exit seminar (one quarter: History 190G, 194K, 194L, 196E, 196G, 196M, 196N, 196P, 196R, 196S, History of Consciousness 190A/Jewish Studies 190A, or Literature 190Y) or a senior thesis (Jewish Studies 195A and 195B).
Major Planning Tools
Add a customizable Jewish Studies Major Planning Worksheet and sample quater-by-quarter course plans to your UCSC Google Drive.
***Your Jewish Studies Major Planning Worksheet is the first/default sheet. Look for the sheets tabs, located at the bottom of your browser window, for the 4 Year, 3 Year, and 2 Year sample Jewish studies major plans.***
Jewish Studies Courses
Course offerings vary by year. See the Jewish Studies Courses list for current course offerings. The comprehensive list of Jewish studies courses may be found in the UCSC General Catalog.
Chronological Distribution Requirements
Among the eleven courses required for the major, at least one course must satisfy the classical chronological distribution requirement:
- Hebrew 80, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
- History 74, An Introduction to Jewish History and Culture
- History 74A, Introduction to Middle Eastern and North African Jewish History: Ancient to Early Modern
- History 163B, Genesis: A History
- Literature 61J, An Introduction to Jewish Literature and Culture
Major Declaration
- Submit a Petition for Major/Minor via MyUCSC
- Log into MyUCSC (very important first step!) and submit a Petition for Major/Minor.
This petition can also be accessed by navigating to the Student Homepage in MyUCSC and selecting the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor.
- Log into MyUCSC (very important first step!) and submit a Petition for Major/Minor.
- Create a Jewish Studies Major Plan of Study
- If you don’t already have one, copy a Jewish Studies Major Planning Worksheet to your UCSC Google Drive.
- Add your completed, in-progress, and planned Jewish studies courses to your major planning worksheet. Use the Annual Jewish Studies Curriculum Sheet to identify Jewish Studies courses you’d like to take in the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.
- Major requirements that you intend on completing after the current academic year may be left blank on your worksheet.
- Meet with a Jewish Studies Faculty Advisor
- Share your completed major planning worksheet with a Jewish Studies faculty advisor to review and discuss your proposed plan of study. You may be advised to modify your plan to achieve greater breadth or concentration. Obtain your advisor’s digital signature on your Jewish Studies Major Planning Worksheet.
- Jewish Studies Faculty Advisors
- Nathaniel Deutsch, Professor of History
- Alma Heckman, Associate Professor of History
- Bruce Thompson, Lecturer in History and Literature
- Submit Your Jewish Studies Major Plan
- Share your approved Jewish Studies Major Planning Worksheet with the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator. Make sure the “Notify people” box is checked!
You are now officially declared!
OPTIONAL: Double Major or Minor Declaration
To declare a double major or a minor, you must also complete a UCSC Academic Planning Form with both of your major/minor advisors. If you don’t already have one, the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator will provide you with a signed UCSC Academic Planning Form.
To add Jewish studies as a second declared major, your UCSC Academic Planning Form must be current and up to date: reviewed and approved by your first major advisor within the last academic quarter. You may need to update your UCSC Academic Planning Form with your first major advisor before petitioning to declare Jewish studies as a second major.
Major Declaration Deadlines
Students who enter UCSC as frosh are required to declare a major before enrolling in their third year (or equivalent). Upper division transfer students are required to declare a major before the end of their second term at UCSC. Consult the UCSC Academic and Administrative Calendar for the quarterly “Declaration/Change of Major/Minor” deadline. Students who do not declare a major by the aforementioned deadlines will not be able to enroll in their classes for the following term.
Questions about declaring the Jewish studies major? Contact the History Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Senior Year and Graduation
In the first quarter of your senior year, you must complete a final review of your Jewish studies major degree progress. The purpose of completing a senior check early in your final year is to make sure you are on track to finish all of your major requirements by your planned quarter of graduation and to ensure you donʼt experience any last minute surprises! Your completed senior check form must be submitted to the Jewish Studies Undergraduate Program Coordinator no later than two quarters before you intend to graduate. Students who do not submit their Senior Check for review may have their graduation date delayed.
Complete the Jewish Studies Senior Check form (enterable PDF) and submit it to the History Department office by the deadlines listed below. The Jewish Studies Undergraduate Program Coordinator will notify you by your UCSC email address once your senior check form has been reviewed.
Deadlines:
Spring and Summer 2025 Graduation: Tuesday, October 15
Fall 2025 Graduation: Thursday, January 23
Winter 2026 Graduation: Thursday, April 17
All students who announce candidacy during the academic year are reviewed for honors or highest honors in the major. The Jewish Studies Academic Advising Committee determines honors based upon students performance in their Jewish studies courses. The minimum standard applied is excellence in most courses for honors, and excellence in all courses for highest honors. Summer graduates are reviewed for honors in Fall quarter.
Honors in the Jewish Studies Major
All students who announce candidacy during the academic year are reviewed for honors or highest honors in the major. The Jewish studies faculty advisers determine honors based upon courses applied toward the Jewish studies major. Performance in courses taken elsewhere and being transferred toward the major will be considered when applicable. The minimum standard applied is excellence in most courses for honors, and excellence in all courses for highest honors. Summer, fall, and winter graduates will be reviewed at the end of each of their respective quarters. Spring graduates will be reviewed as of the spring announcement of candidacy deadline.
Announcement of Candidacy and the Commencement Ceremony
To graduate from UCSC with a bachelor’s degree in Jewish studies, you must complete all of the major requirements, including the comprehensive (exit) requirement. You must also satisfy general education, University, residency, college, and credit requirements.
To graduate from UCSC with a bachelor’s degree in Jewish studies, you must complete all of the major requirements, including the comprehensive (exit) requirement. You must also satisfy UCSC’s graduation, general education, university, and college requirements.
Participation in the commencement ceremony and degree conferral are two separate, parallel processes. The Commencement Ceremony is coordinated by the colleges, with whom students communicate about all commencement activities. Conferral of a student’s degree is generated by his or her Announcement of Candidacy. Quarterly deadlines for announcing candidacy can be found on the Academic and Administrative Calendar.